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Tragedy, Covenant Consequences, and a Glimmer of Hope
In '4th January 2026 pm sermon - Ruth 1:1 - 6', the book of Ruth opens in a dark and troubling context. Set in the days when the judges ruled, it immediately places us in a time of spiritual chaos, violence, and unfaithfulness, when “everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” Against that national backdrop, Ruth draws our attention away from the whole nation and into the life of one ordinary family, asking: What is God doing here?
The Tragedy Begins
Ruth 1:1–5 introduces a series of biblical “alarm bells.” There is a famine in Bethlehem, the “house of bread,” and a man named Elimelech (“my God is king”) chooses not repentance and prayer, but relocation. He leads his family east to Moab, a foreign land repeatedly warned against in Scripture. This decision is not presented as morally neutral; it reflects a failure to live as though God truly is king.
The sermon places this tragedy within Israel’s covenant history. Drawing on Deuteronomy 28, the famine is understood not as random misfortune but as part of the covenant consequences of widespread disobedience. When God’s people abandon him, the land itself suffers. Elimelech’s choice to flee rather than repent mirrors the spiritual drift of the nation as a whole.
The outcome is devastating. Elimelech dies. His two sons die. Naomi is left in a foreign land, bereft of protection, provision, and family. In just five verses, the story descends into grief, loss, and apparent hopelessness. This is not sentimental storytelling - it is the reality of sin and its destructive consequences.
Sin, Suffering, and Our World Today
The sermon presses this tragedy home to the present. Sin still brings death. Whether at the level of nations or individuals, ignoring God’s design leads to brokenness - seen in family breakdown, relational pain, confusion, and despair. Doing “what feels right” rather than listening to God’s word remains deeply destructive.
Yet even here, the sermon is careful: tragedy is not preached to condemn, but to warn and to call people back. The suffering in Ruth is a megaphone, exposing the cost of disobedience and the seriousness of turning away from God.
A Glimmer of Hope: Return
Verse 6 introduces a quiet but profound shift: the Lord has come to the aid of his people by providing food. While Naomi is still in Moab, God is already at work in Bethlehem. The sermon highlights the significance of the word return - closely linked in Hebrew thought to repentance. No matter how far God’s people have wandered, the possibility of turning back remains.
Even in grief, Naomi still acknowledges the Lord. God’s name remains on her lips. This fragile faith, struggling yet real, becomes the starting point for restoration. The sermon emphasises that God can work through ordinary decisions, painful circumstances, and imperfect faith, drawing his people back to himself.
Looking Ahead with Trust
The sermon ends on a note of expectancy. Though the tragedy is real and unresolved at this stage, God is present, active, and faithful. The story of Ruth will eventually lead to King David—and ultimately to Jesus Christ, God’s true King. But for now, the invitation is simple and searching: repent, return, trust God’s sovereign hand, and believe that he is at work even when hope feels distant.
Ruth 1:1–6 reminds us that while sin brings death, the Lord remains merciful, calling his people back and quietly preparing the way for redemption.
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